News – Page 72 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Arkansas City Fire Department mourns loss of firefighter

info2024-08-26T09:40:45-05:00August 26th, 2024|

The Arkansas City Fire Department is in mourning after the death of firefighter and EMT Trevor Rusk. The ACFD said in a news release Rusk was off-duty at the time of his death. He was a valued member of the ACFD, known for his commitment to the safety and well-being of others. The release said Rusk joined the department on June 5, 2023, and quickly became a beloved colleague. “Trevor was not only a dedicated firefighter but also a friend to many. His courage, professionalism, and selflessness will never be forgotten. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and [...]

Pratt entering Stage 1 of water conservation due to drought

info2024-08-26T09:39:09-05:00August 26th, 2024|

The City of Pratt announced it is entering Stage 1 of its Water Conservation Plan. Stage 1 is voluntary. The city said due to drought conditions, on top of a well failure, it must take steps to prevent loss of drinking water for basic health and safety services. The City of Pratt shared several ways residents can help limit excessive water usage: Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when full, Turn off the faucet while washing hands, shaving or brushing your teeth, Avoid washing cars, boats or other outdoor equipment, Only water lawn or flowers when needed (evening or morning [...]

Garden Plain playground getting new equipment

info2024-08-26T09:36:54-05:00August 26th, 2024|

A playground in Garden Plain will soon have a couple of new items for children to try out. Garden Plain State Bank is giving the city $3,500 in Community Reinvestment Funds to purchase playground equipment for Ternes Park. The money will go toward monkey bars and 12 pebble-path pods, both sized for children ages 2 to 12. The pebble-path consists of individual step climbers that can be adjusted in height. Children jump from pod to pod, improving strength, coordination, and balance. “Our citizens continue to request new amenities, but public funds are very precious and limited,” Mayor Kevin Hammond said in [...]

Wichita’s emergency shelter poised to open by Thanksgiving

info2024-08-26T09:30:08-05:00August 26th, 2024|

Wichita’s emergency winter shelter aims to open around Thanksgiving, which will be the first project of three for a fully developed multi-agency center, according to announcements during last week’s Homelessness Task Force meeting. Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said the development of the former Park Elementary school site is being planned as three sequential projects: the emergency winter shelter, the multi-agency center, or MAC, and then the build of low-income housing. Anderson also announced that the state legislature didn’t act on their first right of refusal of the Wichita USD 259 property, meaning that negotiations are officially underway between the school [...]

What is ‘percent for art?’ About the public art funding program that Wichita arts advocates don’t want to lose

info2024-08-26T09:28:27-05:00August 26th, 2024|

Local arts leaders sounded the alarm after comments from Mayor Lily Wu during last Tuesday’s Wichita City Council meeting. The Council will vote to adopt the proposed 2025 city budget tomorrow. An exchange during last week’s Wichita City Council meeting has prompted some Wichita arts advocates to speak out in favor of a relatively new and little-understood public art funding program. During public comment on the 2025 Annual Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Improvement Program, District 2 resident Faith Martin suggested temporarily suspending the city’s percent-for-art ordinance to make up for an expected 2026 budget shortfall. “Maybe we look at amending [...]

Report maps path for water resilience in western Kansas

info2024-08-25T08:29:53-05:00August 25th, 2024|

Though water conservation has been an increasing priority for the Kansas agriculture sector, it has also been somewhat fragmented in its approach. The framework presented Tuesday at KState is a novel approach at bringing stakeholders from each part of the value chain into its efforts. “This is the first time we’ve really intentionally put the beef industry, the feedlot industry, in a room with their irrigator producers and their packers and their bankers to talk about improvements across the supply chain,” [Susan Metzger, of the KState Water Institute] said. Most agricultural producers are open to changing how they water to better [...]

Pawnee County officials finally get some answers for energy transmission corridor

info2024-08-23T10:38:13-05:00August 23rd, 2024|

Community leaders in Pawnee County spoke with a leadership team from the Federal Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday morning to learn more about a proposed energy transmission corridor. ... The main issue is a proposed five-mile wide corridor known as the "Midwest-Plains" corridor that would go through much of Kansas. Source: KSN-TV

Municipal Bond Trends for August 22, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-08-23T10:10:52-05:00August 23rd, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

This honeysuckle isn’t so sweet: Efforts are ongoing to save forest in an Olathe park

info2024-08-23T09:50:37-05:00August 23rd, 2024|

Johnson County Park & Recreation District has been fighting to restore plant diversity to Ernie Miller Park after shrub honeysuckle and other invasive plants like garlic mustard caused significant damage. For the the last five years, there’s been a strong effort to boot the shrub honeysuckle from the whole 116 acres of Ernie Miller. This is just the halfway mark for the plan. The invasive shrub had taken over the understory, or the underlying layer of vegetation, in the wooded park, said Matt Garrett, natural resource manager for Johnson County Park & Recreation District. “The shrub honeysuckle basically broke down an [...]

Fed Chair Powell indicates interest rate cuts ahead: ‘The time has come for policy to adjust’

info2024-08-23T09:47:48-05:00August 23rd, 2024|

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell laid the groundwork Friday for interest rate cuts ahead, though he declined to provide exact indications on timing or extent. “The time has come for policy to adjust,” the central bank leader said in his much-awaited keynote address at the Fed’s annual retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.” “Inflation has declined significantly. The labor market is no longer overheated, and conditions are now less tight than those that prevailed before [...]